Safety-vault for coffins



B. G. DEVOE.

SAFETY VAULT FOR OOPFINS.

(ModeL) Patented Mar. 21,1882.

N. PEKERS. Phal ljlhognphcn Waahingtom 04 c.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

BENJAMIN G. DEVOE, OF KENTON, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF TO JOHN H. AYERS, OF URBANA, OHIO.

SAFETY-VAU LT FOR COFFlNS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 255,149, dated March 21, 1882.

Application filed November 14, 1881. (Model) 7 I0 all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, BENJAMIN G. DEVOE, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kenton, in the county ofHardin and State ofOhio, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Safety -Vaults for Coffins; and I do hereby declare the followingto be a full, clear,

and exact description of the invention, suchas will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to letters or figures of reference marked thereon, which form a part of this specification.

My invention relates to that class of safetyvaults for coffins or coffin-safes which are antomatically locked when the body or cap is applied to the base; and it consists in a novel construction of the bodytor cap of the safe, whereby said body may be made of a single sheet of metal, as hereinafter described.

The invention further consists in constructing the base of a single plate of cast metal, having the lock-cases cast thereto ortherewith, substantially as hereinafter fully described.

The invention further consists in the-means employed for automatically locking the body of the vault to the base or for unlocking the the interior of one of the locks.

same, as hereinafter fully described; and, lastly, the invention consists in the construction and combination of parts, as hereinafter fully set forth, and as shown in the accompanying drawings, in which- Figure 1 shows in plan view a pattern-sheet,

from which'the body or cap of the vault is constructed. Figs. 2, 3, and 4 show the manner of constructing the body of the vault with the pattern-sheet. Figs. 5 and 6 show in plan views two methods of constructing the base, and Figs. 7 and 8 are transverse sections of the same. Fig. 9 is an elevation of the vault, the body thereof being partly broken away to show Figs. 10 and 11 are reversed elevations of the locks, showing their operation oflocking in both positions.

Like letters ofreference are employed to indicate like parts in all the figures of drawings.

A is the pattern-sheet from which the body of the vault is made. Two of its corners on the same side of the sheet are partially cut away to a point near the line 1, where the ends of the sheet are bent, leaving a narrow flap, 2,

thatis slitted from its edge to said line 1. i The.

sheet has two central flaps, 3 4, at each end, cut away along their central adjacent lines, so that when said flaps are bent down their edges will come in contact with each other, as shown in Fig. 3. The longer side of the sheet A has at each end a flap, 5, that, when bent.- over the flaps 3 and 4, will lie with their edges in contact with the edges of the short flaps 2, as

shown in Fig. 4. The sheet A, after being stamped out of suitable sheet metal in the shape described, and shown by Fig. 1, is creased or bent centrally, as shown in Figs. 2, 3, 4, and 9, to form the ridge of the roof. 3 and 4 are next bent down, as shown in Fig. 3, and then the sidesa a, the end flaps 2 and 5 of which are bent over the end flaps 3 and 4 to complete the body. The overlapping end flaps may be riveted together, or they may be united by means of solder or by brazing, or in any other desired or preferred manner. It will be seen that when the usual boiler-rivet is used but a comparatively small number of such is required, while in vaults of this class, as heretofore constructed, and so far as known to me, the body is usually composed of live sections, riveted together in the same manner as the sections of boilers are riveted together.

The advantages of my improved construction of vault-body over those heretofore used will therefore be readily seen, both as far as economy in the construction and strength are concerned.

' The base or bottom B of the vault may be made of sheet metal and provided with stirrups b, to receive and hold the body or cap A of the vault. It is provided at each corner with a gravity-lock, composed of a cylindrical casin g, 0, provided with an opening, 0, at the lower end of its straight side or edge. The case incloses a camshaped gravity-bolt, D, provided with alocking-nose, d, and the body of the vault is at each corner provided with a stop, 8, with which the locking-nose 01 engages when the body or cap is set upon its base, and is thus held by said bolts against vertical movement. By means of this arrangement the body A cannot be lifted ofl' the base. When the vault is,

however, turned bottom upward, the bolts D The end flaps slide downward by gravity, and the nose at is retracted from the stop 8 automatically, and the base is then free to be removed. from the cap or body A.

This lock is designed for use with that class of vaults or coffin-safes that are not intended to be permanently sealed or locked. To prevent such vaults beingtam pered with, the body A thereof is secured to the stirrups by soldering or brazing, or other suitable means that would require such preparations and so long a time to remove the body as to prevent its being attempted for illicit purposes.

Instead of stiri ups, as shown in Figs. 5 and 7, the base-plate B may be provided with a channel or groove, I), as shown in Figs. 6 and 8, all around its edges, to receive the edges of the cap A, said channel or groove forming a continuous stirrup all around the base B, and, like the stirrups b, said channel performs the function of feet, upon which the vault or safe is supported. Cement or solder may be run in the channel to hermetically seal the vault and prevent its being readily tampered with.

The lock-cases C may be open on that side facing the end walls ofthe cap A, as such walls will hold the cam or gravity bolts D in proper position.

Instead of making the base-plateB of sheet metal, it may be made of cast metal, and the groove or channel b, as well as the lock-cases 0, cast with the said plate, as shown in Figs. 6 and S. In either construction the lock-cases form guides that will facilitate the setting of the cap A upon its base B, as will be readily seen.

When the safe or vault is intended to remain permanently locked I use the same gravityloclr, except that in this case the bolt 1) is provided with a second locking-nose, d, that will project through the opening 0 of the lock-ease O and engage the stop 8 on the cap A when the vault is turned bottom upward, so that the base cannot be removed from the cap when in that position.

The advantages of my improved cofiin vault or safe consist, first, in the economy of its construction; second, in the fact that it may be either temporarily or permanently locked, and when temporarily locked yet present difticulties such as will deter the illicit tampering therewith; third, that it may be hermetically sealed for the purpose of preserving the bodies inclosed therein, and to facilitate the latter the base or cap may be provided with a stop-cock, E, to which an air-pump maybe attached for the purpose of exhausting the air therefrom after it has been hermetically sealed.

Having now described my invention, whatI desire to claim and secure by Letters Patent 15-- 1. The method of constructing the body or cap of coffin safes or vaults, which consists in first forming a blank, A, by stamping from a piece of sheet metal; second, forming a longitudinal crease or bend in said blank to form the ridge of the roof; third, folding down the end flaps 3 4 and the sides a a, respectively; fourth, folding the end flaps 2 and 5 over the flaps 3 and 4, and, lastly, eonnectingsa-id flaps together, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. In a coffin safe or vault, the combination, with the cap or body A, of the base B, provided at its edges with a downwardly-projecting flange, or its equivalent, constructed to form a support for said base-plate, and having a channel or groove for the reception of the edges of said cap and a guide at each corner to guide the cap into proper position, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. In a coffin safe or vault, the combination, with the cap or body A, of the base B, provided with a channel, or its equivalent, around its edges, and a lock-case at each corner, constructed to form guides and autoinaticallylock said cap to the base when applied thereto, substantially as shown and described.

4:. In a eofiin safe or vault, the body or cap provided with stops or keepers s s, in combination with the base provided with a groove or stirrup along its edges, the lock-cases G, and gravity-bolts D,all arranged for operation substantially as and for the purposes specified.

In testimony whereof I affix my signature in 5 presence of two witnesses.

BENJAMIN G. DEVOE. \Vitnesses:

DUNCAN MCDONALD, J r., t D. M. AYERS. 

